Box Score (Game #1) 
Box Score (Game #2) 

CAMDEN, N.J. – William Paterson (16-12, 8-3 NJAC) moved into first place in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) baseball standings with a doubleheader sweep against host Rutgers-Camden (8-19, 3-8 NJAC) April 11. With the 15-2 and 8-3 victories, the Pioneers are now a half-game ahead of idle No. 12 Kean (7-3) in the league race.

GAME ONE
Nursing a 4-2 lead, William Paterson exploded for five unearned runs in the top of the sixth inning, sparked by a leadoff infield error. The frame featured RBI-singles by junior second baseman Miguel Lugo (Jersey City, N.J./St. Mary's) and junior right fielder Mike Guadango (Upper Saddle River, N.J./Northern Highlands) and a run-scoring triple by sophomore left fielder Mike Moran (Pompton Plains, N.J./Pequannock Twp.). The inning was capped by a two-run home run to left field by senior center fielder John Elia (Emerson, N.J./Pascack Valley).

William Paterson didn't waste any time jumping on the scoreboard in the first inning. The Pioneers, who entered the game with a lofty .352 team batting average, led off the contest with a single by Lugo. He advanced to second on a wild pitch and to third on a grounder to the right side, setting the stage for a sacrifice fly to right field by Guadango.

WP added a pair of runs in the second on two singles, a walk and an error, and tacked on a third-inning run on a double by Guadango and a RBI-single by sophomore catcher Zac Rose (Nutley, N.J./St. Mary-Rutherford).

Rutgers-Camden cut the gap to 4-2 with a two-run third inning, sparked by a leadoff double from junior first baseman Dan Stuhlemmer. Following a single by junior right fielder Steve Myers, Stuhlemmer scored on a single by senior second baseman Dean Straga. Myers scored on an error, but the Pioneers put the game away with their five-run sixth.

William Paterson added another run in the eighth on doubles by senior third baseman Will Courter (Roseland, N.J./West Essex) and Elia, and finished the big day with five more runs in the ninth.

For the game, the Pioneers ripped 16 hits, including three apiece by Lugo, Guadango and Elia. Guadango had four RBIs, while Elia added three. Guadango and Lugo each scored three runs.
Rutgers-Camden received three hits from Stuhlemmer.

William Paterson junior righty Scott Zirul (Cedar Grove, N.J./Cedar Grove) went the distance to pick up the victory and raise his record to 5-1. He allowed eight hits, one walk and two runs, one of them unearned. He struck out 11 hitters.

Sophomore Eric Bosworth took the loss for the Raptors, working 3.1 innings and allowing seven hits, one walk and four earned runs. Bosworth (0-3) struck out one.

GAME TWO
After twice trailing by a run during the early innings, the Pioneers took the lead for good with a three-run fifth.

Dennis Hill put the Scarlet Raptors on top when he scampered home due to a first-inning wild pitch. Freshman Anthony Dorio (Lyndhurst, N.J./Lyndhurst) drew a walk to start the top of the third, moved to second after Lugo was hit by a pitch, and advanced to third thanks to a Courter sacrifice. Dorio later scored off a Guadango groundout, tying the game at 1-1.

Kyle Ballay singled in Dean Straga during the home half of the third, making it a 2-1 Rutgers-Camden advantage, before the Pioneers pushed across three runs during the top of the fifth. Guadango started the two-out rally with a walk, followed by a Moran single and an Elia two-run triple to right-center. Junior Marc Palestina (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) followed with a RBI-single to shortstop for a 4-2 WP edge.

A bases-loaded walk during the home half of the inning cut the Pioneers' advantage in half, but that was as close as the Raptors would get, as William Paterson later added four scores during the eighth. Freshman Rob Somers (West Long Branch, N.J./Shore Regional) singled in Palestina, Courter drove in Somers with a base hit to center field, Guadango knocked in Lugo with another single, and Elia finished the scoring when he plated Courter with the Pioneers' fifth hit of the inning.

Guadango ripped his 11th double of the year, part of a 2-for-4, two-RBI effort. Elia was 2-for-5, including a triple, and drove in three runs, while Moran and Somers each added two hits. Senior Dan VandeVrede (Lincoln Park, N.J./Pequannock Twp.) pitched the first 4.1 innings, allowing 10 hits and three runs while striking out two hitters and walking a pair. Freshman J.J. Moran (River Vale, N.J./Pascack Valley) improved to 1-1 with 4.2 innings of scoreless relief, giving up three hits, striking out five and walking three.

Five different Raptors each had two hits. Andrew Hoffman suffered the loss (1-4), surrendering five hits and seven runs in 7.2 innings.

William Paterson will return to action Wednesday, April 15, with a game at Staten Island at 3:30 p.m.